The Anti-Crush: An Enemies to Lovers Sports Romance

by Harper West

  “Mmm. It smells great," I said. I grabbed the pot of meatballs and sauce. Nathan went back for a bottle of red wine and two glasses.

  "Red wine is the only suitable accompaniment for this meal. My mother instilled that logic. Red sauce, red wine,” He laughed, reminiscing. “I wasn't even allowed to drink, but I knew all about which wine went with each dish. Apparently, they learn that pretty quick in Italy.” He smiles as he poured each of us a glass.

  I didn't have a vast knowledge of wine, but I knew I liked darker reds, so I was fine with it. He sat, and we started passing around bowls and filling our plates.

  I opted to cover half of my plate with salad to balance out moderate servings of pasta and meatballs. I read once that spinach was actually a negative calorie food because our bodies burned more calories digesting it than it actually contained. This was another tidbit of information I had retained from my weight loss journey. While I was steadily maintaining now, I still had to work to keep the weight off. Not always easy when you’re staring down a mountain of spaghetti and the cute guy who cooked it for you.

  "Wow, that’s a lot of salad," Nathan chuckled when our plates were full, and he sat back to dig in.

  "Oh, uh… yeah. You know what they say about greens,” I said, looking at the plate that was about two-thirds covered in salad with only a small serving of pasta and one lonely meatball resting beside it.

  "Do you not like spaghetti?" he asked, concerned.

  "No... I mean, yes... I mean… that's not it," I stammered. "It's just that… well… after junior prom, I wanted to... change the way I looked." My voice trailed off. I didn’t know how to explain this to someone like Nathan. He’d never experienced something like this before. I wasn't sure he’d understand. “Like… I wanted to lose some weight.”

  “Oh, I get it. I’m sorry.”

  I could tell he felt bad and I really didn't want him to. "It's nothing for you to be sorry about. It's my thing. I'm sure you remember me as being a little bit… larger in high school. And after prom, I decided to do something about it."

  "Why? Did something happen at prom?" Nathan relaxed a bit and took a bite of his salad.

  "Well, I went with my friends. You remember Kelli and Katie?”

  "Oh yeah, they were the ones in the band, right?"

  "Yes, we all were," I laughed at the memory. "Katie and I played flute, and Kelli played clarinet. We had decided to go to prom together, just as a group of friends. We planned our dresses to coordinate and we decided to all choose dresses that were different shades of-"

  "Orange!" Nathan said, remembering.

  "Orange," I confirmed, much less enthusiastically. "We all had great tans from the tanning beds, so we thought the orange would show that off. Well, when we were dancing together, we bumped into Andrea..."

  “Andrea Quigley? My date?" Nathan stopped chewing looked dumbfounded.

  "Yes, your date," I said, staring down. "She was holding some drink on the dance floor, and when we bumped into her, she got pissed. She started yelling at us about how we just looked like a bunch of traffic cones and needed to get off the dance floor because there wasn't enough space for anyone else."

  I felt myself rambling, but I couldn't stop.

  "I don't know if you remember, but Katie and Kelli were both very skinny, so the comment was obviously directed at me. I ran to the bathroom and cried for, like, an hour before I finally called my mom to come to get me. I didn't want to ruin the rest of the night for my friends, but I couldn't go back out there and face Andrea."

  I rolled my eyes and looked at the ceiling. Anywhere but at Nathan’s face. I took a deep breath and kept talking.

  "Anyway, after prom, I decided I never wanted to be called a traffic cone or fat again, so I decided to start watching what I ate and working out. There wasn't much of a difference before the end of the school year, obviously, but I kept up the new habits through the summer, so when we came back for senior year, I was like a whole new person. Everyone commented on how healthy and fit I looked. Well, everyone except Andrea. I vowed to never let myself get back to that size again. All that to say, I haven't eaten a carbs like this in a very long time. And when I do, I try to balance it out with a pretty strenuous workout. It's not for everyone, but it works for me."

  Nathan had grown quiet. After a few minutes, he finally said, “I’m so sorry, Elizabeth. I had no idea."

  "No, of course, you didn't," I said, reaching across the table to take his hand. "I remember that it was only Andrea and her friends on the dance floor when it happened. All the boys were in the back, trying to see if they could distract the chaperones long enough to pour liquor in the punch. Did they actually do it?" I asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood a little.

  Nathan chuckled at the thought and relaxed. "Well, no. We had it out and ready to go, but Mr. Hill walked up and caught us red-handed. It was quite the scandal. Elizabeth, I'm sorry that happened. I had no idea that any. To tell you the truth, Andrea was probably just jealous of you."

  "What? Jealous of me?" I exclaimed. A bully who’d haunted my dreams was jealous of me? The thought didn't even make sense. “Why on earth would Andrea be jealous of me?"

  "Your boobs," Nathan said with a straight-lined grin. "She was always going on and on about how she had no boobs and how she was so jealous of girls with curves. For what it's worth, you weren’t only victim. She was cruel to most people. Honestly, I'm not sure what I saw in her. We didn't last long after prom,” he said, without a hint of regret in his voice. “But look, I ended up with the prettiest girl at the school. I mean, eventually.” With that, he looked at me and smiled.

  My cheeks grew hot, but I smiled back. "Thanks. And for what it's worth…” I started as I took a bite of the pasta with sauce, "this is, hands down, the best pasta sauce I have ever had. You will have to thank your mom for me."

  "I'm glad you like it. It’s nice to cook for someone. Even though now I know to make something healthier,” he offered.

  I definitely caught the fact that he said next time.

  Nathan really was sweet. I was glad I had shared that part of my past with him. It was cathartic for me and it meant a lot that his really listened and tried to understand. I was typically closed off about that part of my life, but he was easy to talk to. I was glad he was so gentle and kind about it. My painful past seemed less harsh now that he was part of my present.

  We both finished eating and sat while sipping the wine and talking. The hours wore on, but neither of us seemed to want to stop learning about the other. However, eventually, I became quite aware of how long we’d been sitting there.

  "Goodness, what time is it?" I said, glancing at the large clock on the wall. "It's already eleven? We've been sitting here for almost four hours."

  "Time flies when you're having fun," Nathan said, tipping his glass back to drink the last of his wine.

  "Thank you, Grandpa," I teased and got up from the table. "I have to get to bed. I have a test to study for tomorrow, and I need to get some sleep."

  "Oh, but I'm the grandpa?" he teased back. "You're the one going to bed so early." He got up and followed me to the door.

  "I would hardly consider 11pm early," I said. I didn't want him to go, but I knew I needed to be fresh for studying the next day.

  "Okay, I get it. I'll head out. Do you want me to help clean up first?" he asked.

  "Absolutely not," I said. "You cooked. I can clean."

  "Okay, but I would like to do something else if you don't mind," he said as we approached the door. "I've been wanting to do it for quite a while now, honestly."

  My stomach knotted. If he was thinking about what I was thinking about, then I wasn’t sure how to react.

  "Sure, what is it?" I asked,

  The second our eyes connected, it was game over.

  Without another word, he drew me in close and wrapped his arms around my back. He pulled me flush to his hard chest and fused his mouth to mine. His tongue ran along the seam of my closed lip
s. My heart soared. I wanted to hate it. Well, I wanted to want to hate it. I should have shoved him away and give him a piece of my mind. Instead, I surrendered completely.

  I wanted more of him.

  My heart pounded in my throat and the blood rushed to my ears. Nathan closed the gap between our bodies as his hands fell to my hips. He gripped me tightly. His tongue invaded my mouth, stroking along the roof, teasing me making me weak in the knees. I tried to keep myself upright. I tried to stay strong as his tongue slid against mine. The second his hands roamed up my sides and tangled into my long, dark hair, I melted against him.

  I couldn’t get enough.

  14

  Elizabeth

  My heart was beating like a drum.

  I was dizzy and I thought I might faint. But I didn't want the moment to end. As his arms cloaked my back, I leaned into it as he deepened the kiss. I parted my lips, letting him in as he backed me against a cool surface. I didn’t know what I was pressed against. I didn’t care.

  All I cared about was feeling more of him.

  “Fuck,” he growled, into my mouth.

  I whimpered as his teeth slid along my lower lip. “Shit,” I whispered, softly.

  He pulled back and looked into my eyes, searching them. A grin spread across his face and rested his forehead against mine. I panted as I tried to keep my legs steady. All I wanted to do was jump up and wrap them around his waist. I wanted him closer. I wanted more.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “I should be asking you that. You’re trembling.”

  We laughed a little as we caught our breath. My hands settled against his chest, and I felt his raging heartbeat beneath my palms. I closed my eyes, wanting to commit it to memory. I breathed in his scent, a mixture of mint and forest that I decided I really liked. My body settled down. My heart stopped thundering and my nerves calmed. But all I wanted was more.

  I wanted everything he was willing to give.

  "I think that was long overdue," Nathan said with a smirk.

  “I think so too.”

  He took my hand, threading his fingers through mine.

  “So, what now?” I asked, allowing myself a long look at his flushed face.

  He kissed my forehead. "For now, I'm going to let you get your sleep.”

  “You don’t want to come inside?”

  He chuckled before he pecked my lips one last time. “Thanks for a great night. See you soon?"

  Disappointment surged through my system. “Of course. Yeah. See you soon.”

  He let me go and I suddenly felt cold. As I watched Nathan walk away, I missed him. I wanted his warmth back against my body. I wanted his touch anywhere and everywhere. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide my puckered nipples as he turned and waved at me one last time. I knew I couldn't let this night end like this. I wasn’t ready to let him go. I mean, one kiss? One measly little kiss before he just… left?

  No way.

  I was on fire and I wanted more Nathan.

  Suddenly, I was tired of being the good girl. Tired of always doing what I was supposed to and tired of being the good girl. I wanted things I'd never really wanted before. And I wanted them badly. I didn't care if I studied for that test or not. I didn’t care if I failed. Hell, I didn’t even care if I looked like an idiot chasing after him.

  “Nathan, wait!” I gasped.

  He was only halfway down the stairs, so I caught up to him quickly. He turned around, waiting for me to say something, but words failed me. So, I grabbed the collar of his shirt. I pulled him close to my face, watching his eyes light up with mystery and delight.

  I pulled him back for another kiss and he collected me in his arms.

  “Holy fuck,” he grunted.

  His tongue claimed my mouth. He picked me up as if I weighed nothing. He carried me back to my front door before I reached down and threw it open, and together we strode through the threshold. He kicked the door closed as I came up for air, but immediately pressed me back against it.

  The heat of his kiss traveled all the way down my thighs. His seductive stare made me ache for more. I felt my cheeks flush as heat trickled down the nape of my neck. I could feel Nathan's eyes on me and it drove me wild.

  He knew exactly what he was doing to me. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

  I drew in a shaky breath. “Not as beautiful as you, Nathan.”

  I let my hands travel along his chest and his arms, feeling the muscles underneath his clothes. I wanted to know what they felt like pressed against me. I wanted to know what it would feel like to be under him. It didn’t matter that I hated his guts for years. Everything was different now.

  Nathan cleared his throat and something gave me pause.

  “Is everything all right?” I asked.

  Nathan sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I can't do this without being honest about something.”

  I leaned against the door me and gave him a curious look. "Be honest with me? About what?" I had no idea what he was talking about, but I knew it couldn’t be good. Suddenly, my excitement felt more like a heavy rock sitting in the pit of my stomach.

  "I know we only just started talking and hanging out without Tanner and McKenzie,” he said, “but I noticed you before that."

  I stared at him, hoping this wasn’t about to crash and burn after I chased him down and brought him back inside.

  “I made a lot of mistakes in the past, but one thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to screw this up again. I want something real, and I think this could really be something special.” He raked his hand through his hair and then met my eyes. “I’m not interested in just hooking up, Elizabeth. I want more than that. I want a commitment. And I hope you do too."

  I stared at him for a minute, taking it all in.

  "I don't know what to say. I mean, that's not really what I expected," I said at last.

  "Just say yes. Say that you want to be with me too. Tell me you something serious and not just some fling.” He took another deep breath. “I'm sure it will be hard at times, but I really think we can make it work if we try." He started at me hard, his eyes pleading. It was a side of Nathan I never thought I’d see.

  It didn't take much pleading, though. Of course, I wanted to be with Nathan. I think I had known it longer than I wanted to admit.

  "Of course I want to try," I said. I wrapped my arms around him, never wanting to let go.

  He looked relieved as he took me in his arms and kissed me again. Only this time, it wasn’t slow and romantic. This time, it was needy. Possessive. I felt him claiming me with every stroke of his tongue. He pawed at my lower back as he pulled me closer to him. My breasts pressed flat against his chest. Our teeth clashed,. My lips began to get sore, but I loved the pain. I loved the connection. I adored the desperate heat of it all.

  I loved knowing that he wanted me as much as I wanted him.

  Passion and desire filled my veins. He growled like a beast that wanted to be set free from its cage. The wall I’d built up to protect myself from Nathan had been knocked down by his confession.Waves of passion continued to crash over us as he picked me up and hoisted me against the door, making me wrap my legs around his waist.

  “Bedroom?” I asked breathlessly.

  He held me tightly against his body. “Show me where to go, gorgeous.”

  I pointed down the hallway and gasped a little as I felt him harden against me. He pressed open-mouthed kisses along my neck as I breathlessly guided him to my bedroom. Nathan stumbled toward my bed and we fell back onto the mattress. I gazed up into his sparkling eyes.

  His eyes made my heart skip a beat.

  I gripped his shirt and pulled him down over me, kissing him some more, scared that if I came up for air even for a moment, I’d wake up from this dream. But it wasn't a dream. This was real. It was really happening. I was going to have sex with Nathan. I wanted to feel his body over mine all night before we collapsed into a fit of sweat and smiles. I wanted him to r
ip off my clothes. I wanted to feel him filling me.

  And as I kicked off my shoes, he pulled his shirt over his head.

  “Nathan?” I asked.

  He tossed his shirt to the side and stepped out of his own shoes. I made quick work of my clothes while I watched him undress. I would’ve thought that undressing for someone like Nathan would’ve been hard. Like, he was judging me or making me feel self-conscious. But the more clothes I peeled off, the hungrier he looked.

  “So?” Nathan asked, standing there, naked.

  I stood, revealing my whole naked self to him. “Yes?”

  “Yes. Yes to everything, Elizabeth. I want you so bad, I can't see straight.”

  “Then, come get me.”

  He tackled me back to the bed and crashed his lips against mine. I wound my arms around his neck, holding him close and spread my legs spread. His hard cock pressed against my bare pussy. I felt myself gush as our tongues battled for dominance. He took my hands in his and pinned them above my head. He kissed my neck, my throat, my collar bone, and down towards my tits. His hot, wet tongue found my nipple. He teased it before sucking it into his mouth. I arched my back and moaned out his name.

  “Jesus, Nathan. Holy hell.”

  He paused for a second and I lifted my head. I felt sheepish, yet powerful, beneath his body as he pinned down on the bed bed. With my legs spread and his knees between my thighs, I couldn’t stop staring at his long, thick erection, standing at attention between our bodies.

  I expected him to smirk at me, but his expression remained serious. He brushes a lock of hair off of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

  He tilted his head. "I know we haven't really talked about this, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. I don't want to screw this up.”

  Despite his thoughtfulness, I was trying to hold back laughter. I mean, he was stark naked and holding me down in bed. I’d already made up my mind about this.

  "I mean, naked making out with you is fun and all," I teased, “but I know what I want, Nathan. And what I want is you."